Religion and migrants’ development engagements

The document examines how Islamic charity, specifically zakat, intersects with migrant remittances and organized diaspora development efforts among Pakistani-origin Muslims in Oslo. It argues that these religious motivations create lasting transnational ties across generations but remain largely invisible or misunderstood by mainstream Norwegian society and the Global North's development sector. The authors suggest a need for greater recognition of religious frameworks in development and a critical re-evaluation of who defines 'development' activities.

• Islamic charity, including zakat (a 2.5% annual tax on assets for Sunni Muslims), often overlaps with and merges into migrant remittances and organized diaspora development engagements, particularly when funds are sent to countries of origin.
• Religious alms are frequently used for both immediate relief and long-term development, such as funding the construction of hospitals and schools in countries including Pakistan, Turkey, and Somalia.
• The practice of Islamic charity facilitates the maintenance of transnational religious ties in post-migration generations, suggesting that youth religiosity and identity are often multiple and transnational.
• In Norway, diaspora development efforts linked to Islamic charity face a double challenge: general suspicion toward migrant transnationalism and broader stereotypes regarding Muslims, leaving these activities largely unrecognized by mainstream society.
• Development initiatives driven by Islamic charity may differ from typical projects funded by government agencies or major sector players, challenging the Global North's dominance in defining what constitutes 'development'.

APA

Erdal, M. B., & Borchgrevink, K. (2015). Religion and migrants’ development engagements. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7bec1786-15b4-4167-b7db-188299eaadca/Erdal Borchgrevink - Diaspora Development Engagements PRIO Policy Brief 16-2015.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Erdal, Marta Bivand, and Kaja Borchgrevink. Religion and migrants’ development engagements. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2015. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7bec1786-15b4-4167-b7db-188299eaadca/Erdal Borchgrevink - Diaspora Development Engagements PRIO Policy Brief 16-2015.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Erdal |first1=Marta Bivand |last2=Borchgrevink |first2=Kaja |title=Religion and migrants’ development engagements |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2015 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7bec1786-15b4-4167-b7db-188299eaadca/Erdal Borchgrevink - Diaspora Development Engagements PRIO Policy Brief 16-2015.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{erdal2015religion, author = {Erdal, Marta Bivand and Borchgrevink, Kaja}, title = {{Religion and migrants’ development engagements}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2015}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7bec1786-15b4-4167-b7db-188299eaadca/Erdal Borchgrevink - Diaspora Development Engagements PRIO Policy Brief 16-2015.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }